Silent Thunder
by Princess Furret
Summary: Ringo is a paranoid sound mage who wishes to get over her fear of groups of people and Laxus might be the guy who can get her to do that. When these two mages meet, their journey together may prove to be the best of both worlds as they somehow help each other understand what they never realized before. Laxus X OC
1. Chapter 1: Scorpions

Welcome to my new story, Silent Thunder. This story follows Ringo Cloudminn, my main OC on my DeviantArt account. This is a Fairy Tail fan story with an OC being the main character as well as an OC X Canon. I do hope you like it. I do accept proper critiques. I have never written for Fairy Tail before, nor have I ever written a character like Laxus before. Please do tell me what you think.

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**Silent Thunder**

**Arc I**

**Chapter 1 Scorpions**

A young woman, one just under twenty-two, sits on a rock in a wasteland of stone, sand and shrubs. She was taking a small break from the walking that she had done since the sun had risen on the horizon. Now the sun was almost directly overhead, providing the time as a few minutes until noon. It was the hottest time of the day and the worst to be stranded with little shade. The young woman opened the worn out, teal, leather bag she was carrying on her back and pulled out a faded brown cloak. It was old and worn out but had a hood and a chipped gold clip to keep it in place.

The woman was Ringo Cloudminn, a young and inexperienced mage who traveled simply to wander. Despite the environment, she wore faded denim shorts and a wavy beige tank top that now clung to her skin from sweat. A sleeveless brown and teal vest overlaid the tank top, making the heat even worse. Sand was stuck between her toes, causing blisters from simply wearing gladiator sandals. Overall, she had not planned well for a desert experience other than preparing her cloak. She did not even wear the sunglasses which were securely placed on her head, trapped in her sienna colored hair. Her hair was thin and wavy, tied in two long pigtails at the side of her head, snuggled behind headphones, that reached well past her waist.

A strong wind started to pick up behind her, throwing sand and dust into her vision. "Sandstorm." Ringo said, surprisingly calm despite the disaster. She stood up and fumbled with the cloak, attempting to fasten it as wind and sand whipped around her body.

The wind tugged at the cloak, yanking it from her grip. Ringo instantly attempted to grab it before the wind took it away but she was too late. She watched the cloak disappear into the storm and frowned. "Now I have to go and get it." she sighed.

Without much thought, the young mage started to walk at a quick pace in the direction that her cloak went. With the wind pushing at her back, she often fumbled over the uneven ground. Sand hit her bare legs and arms, feeling like needles pricking at her skin. It was painful, but more of an annoyance that caused her to stop and rub her arms and legs often. Her hair whipped out in front of her, hitting her in her face every so often and blinding her. The sand itself made it difficult for Ringo to see even a foot in front of her.

Fearing that she might run into something, Ringo put her hand out in front of her, moving it around to make sure there was nothing directly in her way. Time seemed to go by slowly as she struggled through the storm in vain in search of a simple cloak. After what felt like hours, Ringo's hand touched something solid. She instantly gripped at it, finding that it was not a rock, but soft and something that could be easily gripped. Right after her fist clenched down on whatever she had grabbed, something grabbed her wrist in a grip that was much tighter than her own.

On instinct, Ringo instantly tugged away but to no avail. Whatever had gripped her yanked her forward. Taking a step forward, she looked up at what had her and noticed that it resembled a person. She forced her eyes to focus on the stranger more as the winds died down and the storm passed. Once the sands had stopped spinning, she could finally see that what she had grabbed onto was the cloak of a tall man of a large physique with blonde hair and a solid scowled.

This solid scowl disappeared however, when the man realized that who had grabbed him was a simple woman, lost in the storm. He released his grip and Ringo cradled her wrist. "My apologies." Ringo said politely. "I didn't think I would grab a person out here." Her voice was quiet but her eyes were on his and a smile was on her face. She glanced down and noticed that in his hand was a worn brown fabric, resembling her cloak. She pointed at it.

"Where did you find that?" she asked simply.

"The wind carried it." the man said. He held it up to her. Ringo took it, revealing it to be her cloak. She smiled happily at finding it and draped it across her shoulders securely; clipping it so that it did not blow away again.

"Thank you for catching it." Ringo told the stranger.

The man simply nodded and walked around her and continued on his way. Ringo turned to watch him leave but after a minute, went on her way. Some people simply liked solitude, which was a simple ideal to understand.

Several minutes into walking, Ringo could barely see the sandstorm in the distance. It was then that she remembered why she avoided going in the direction that the stranger was going in now. Along her journey, Ringo had come across a scorpion pit. These scorpions burrowed underground and waited for anyone to walk over top of them for easy prey. These scorpions were large, coming up to the knees of an average sized man and over twelve feet from claw to stinger. With her enhanced hearing from her sound magic, Ringo had avoided the trap but the man was no going directly towards it.

Debating her choices, Ringo turned on her heel and started running towards the man. Though he meant nothing to her, knowing that she could stop him from dying and not doing anything would not settle well in her stomach.

She ran across the now loose sand, losing her balance but regaining it. A few times she fell thanks to her faulty shoes but she would get up and follow him again. Despite simply walking, the stranger seemed to have gotten rather far away. She could barely see him on the horizon. The idea of shouting at him to stop came, but her fear of what would follow her shouts also stabbed at the back of her mind.

While trying to figure out what to do, Ringo failed to notice the uneven ground and tripped over a slab of rock, busting her nail open as she fell on her face. The pain in her nose and toes caused tears to form in her eyes but she quickly wiped them away. Her nose was not bleeding but her toes were, the nail cracked and the toes scraped up. She quickly wiped away the sand that was sticking to the forming beads of blood. The blood smears scarlet red onto her toes, hands and the sand. She waved her hand to get rid of some of the blood and continued after the stranger.

By now the man was out of her sight. She was about to pick up her pace when she heard a large clap of thunder and lightning strike not too far away. Ringo instantly covered her ears from the pain and looked at the sky. There were no clouds in the sky and this was a region of little rain. Why was there lightning? Another strike came and smoke grew from where she had heard it.

Ringo scrambled forward and ran as fast as she could. She stopped when she came to a large pit, one that she did not remember being there before. In the pit was the stranger along with several of the large scorpions, many of which were charred black; there original color being a sickening blood red that almost seemed to glow. The stranger raised his hand and another bolt of lightning struck a scorpion, killing it instantly. Ringo covered her ears and held back a yelp of pain.

She instantly placed a spell on her ears, lowering their volume to where she could barely hear the lightning. She watched the man continue to take out the scorpions, sometimes several at a time. She sat in the sand, watching until each one was taken out. One after another, a bright blue and yellow jolt of electricity shot from the sky and stabbed one of the monstrous creatures. At times they would flail after the electricity stunned them before dying while others never moved after taking a step towards the man. Some attempted to attack from far away, others tried to avoid the lightning, but none were able to even come close to the stranger. When all of the creatures were dead, Ringo could not help but applaud the strong mage before her. The sounds of her clapping caused the stranger to look up at her.

Ringo smiled and waved. She stood up and slid down into the pit, stumbling slightly when she landed on her bad foot. She trotted over to the tall man who stood in the center of the large pit. "You are amazing." Ringo said, standing only a few feet away from him.

"Why did you come here?" the man asked, "Weren't you going the opposite way?"

Ringo nodded. "Well I wanted to go this way in the first place, but the scorpions stopped me. I meant to tell you about them but forgot so I came back to warn you." She smiled at him, realizing that her actions had been quite unnecessary.

"Thanks for the concern." The man said. His words were a bit harsh, but earnest. Ringo sighed, a bit embarrassed. With the clear weather, she finally noticed that the man had a long scar on his right eye which formed a lightning bolt at the bottom.

"I'm bad at gauging a person's magic powers or even if they have any." Ringo stated honestly. "I thought you might have just been a normal person."

The man simply nodded.

"My name is Ringo Cloudminn, nice to meet you." Ringo put her hand out.

"Laxus Dreyar." The stranger said, not taking her hand. Ringo put her hand down after he did not take it.

Ringo was just about to say bye to Laxus when the ground began to shake and slip from beneath them. Ringo put her hands out quickly as she started to lose her balance. Laxus crouched slightly, managing to keep most of his balance in check. Ringo on the other hand, fell flat on her butt as a much larger scorpion emerged from the sand, feet away from where they were. The black creature raised his pincers, pinching them together in a loud snipping noise.

"I'm guessing that we woke the queen up." She said with an easy going smile. She looked at the stinger of the scorpion which oozed a piss colored venom. "That looks deadly."

"Don't get stung." Laxus warned her, charging electricity in his hand.

"Good to know." Ringo said, standing up. "I'll be staying out of your way."

"Aren't you a mage?" Laxus asked whilst Ringo moved out of his way.

"I dislike attacking." Ringo said simply.

Laxus didn't have time to talk back as the scorpion thrusted its large stinger at him. He dodged out of the way and struck the large arthropod in the back with another round of lightning. The hit was bright, blinding Ringo for a few seconds. When she finally could see again, she saw that the attack had barely done anything to the creature. It was phased but simply shook off the pain and continued to attack. It charged at Laxus without a care, going at a speed that seemed to fast for its size which could match a small building.

Laxus was not surprised at how resilient the creature was to his lightning. It was much larger than the ones from before and its shell was clearly harder. Ringo watched the fight from what she thought was a safe distance, until the scorpion decided to direct its attention to her. It raised its massive tail up right and shot it towards Ringo like a bullet. Ringo ran quickly to her right to dodge the stinger and its lethal venom.

Laxus attacked it with more lightning as it began to chase Ringo around the pit. With the lightning striking so close, even with her hearing turned down, Ringo had to cover her ears whilst she ran—this action slowed her down. She went around in a circle, dodging around dead scorpions as the big one simply trampled them without a thought. She glanced back at the creature but fear did not seem to grow in her eyes, simply the wish to get away from the monster chasing her.

"Laxus-san, please do something." Ringo asked calmly as she continued to play bait. The lightning mage was still attacking the creature but if he used too large of a strike, it could easily affect Ringo.

"Attack it yourself!" He suggested.

"I told you, I cannot attack." Ringo simply stated, running towards him. She went right past Laxus and the man shot a bolt right in front of the scorpion, blinding it and causing it to become stunned.

Laxus turned to Ringo. "Why not?" he asked.

"Because I can't." Ringo said simply.

"You don't know any attack magic?" he asked.

"I do, I simply can't use it here." She said.

"Why not?" Laxus crossed his arms over his chest but constantly kept his attention on the still stunned scorpion. His voice was louder, a vein appearing on his forhead.

"You will be affected by it as well." Ringo said, placing her hands on her hips. "I don't want you to get hurt because of my magic."

"Why do you care so much, I'm just a stranger." Laxus asked.

"A stranger is still a person." Ringo said simply.

Laxus could no longer argue as the scorpion recovered and continued to rampage. The two mages moved out of the way, fumbling to the ground. As they fell, a pair of spiked, magical headphones fell out of Laxus's bag. An idea popped into Ringo's mind as she grabbed the headphones and forced them into his hands.

"Put these on and I will attack." She said. "You will still be affected, but it won't hurt as bad."

Laxus didn't question the girl and put the headphones on; he did, however, dislike her commanding tone. Though his hearing was muffled a bit with the headphones on, he could still easily hear the scorpion's movements and continued to keep it a safe distance away from himself.

Ringo got a safe distance away and swallowed hard. She disliked using the spell, Howl, but Laxus kept pushing her to do so and she knew he was strong from what she had seen. She got right in front of the scorpion, a large knot in her stomach formed but she tried to ignore it. Ringo took a deep breath and released her spell.

A magic circle formed right in front of her mouth as a blast of sound shout out, slamming the scorpion right into the air. Laxus could hear the loud attack, even through his headphones but it did not hurt him as Ringo had feared. When the scorpion left the ground, Laxus shot a large bolt of electricity which covered the whole body of the scorpion.

When the lightning attack ended, the scorpion fell to the ground, twitching slightly before stopping all movements. It was charred worst than the other scorpions and the smell of the burned flesh was nasty. Ringo looked at it and turned to Laxus with a smile though she had trouble hiding her disgust.

"At least it's over." She said, reassuring herself.

Laxus pulled his headphones off and shrugged. "You shouldn't be too paranoid with your magic." He told her. "It didn't hurt."

Ringo was surprised at Laxus's words. To her, someone telling her that her magic did not hurt was a first. The only other person it had not affected was her grandfather, the sound mage who taught her how to control her magic. She sighed in a bit of relief, the knot in her stomach disappearing.

"Is there a specific place you are traveling to?" she asked the man.

"No." Laxus said, putting his headphones away.

"May I travel with you?" Ringo smiled at Laxus. Her eyes and tone showed no signs of joking.

"Why?" Laxus asked, not keen on the idea of someone going with him.

"I have my reasons." Ringo said simply. "I'd rather not go into details on why."

Laxus wanted to reject her instantly but he had a feeling that just telling the girl no would not work. "You are going to follow me until I accept." He said, not bothering to ask.

"I just want to find out if what I was told is true." Ringo said simply, walking over to him.

"Which is?" Laxus asked.

"It's nothing." Ringo said. "So what do you say, can I come with you?"

Laxus looked at her and sighed slightly. "Just don't fall behind." He said, walking to the edge of the pit.

Ringo smiled happily. "I won't." she said. She turned to follow him and a strap on her sandals broke, causing her to fall on her face

Laxus frowned as Ringo stood up and wiped herself off. "Why are you wearing such useless shoes?" he asked her.

"Because they are the only ones I own." Ringo admitted.

Laxus watched the girl take off her shoes and placing them in her bag, opting to walk in the desert barefooted. He could not understand how this girl could underestimate traveling so much. "You need new shoes."

(*A*)

"Laxus, I can't go in there." Ringo said, nervous.

"Why not?" Laxus asked, getting frustrated; his arms crossed over his chest

"There are too many people there." Ringo said, hiding behind a palm tree.

"It's only a town." He said. A vein was clearly visible on his forehead.

"Too many people." She repeated.

"Why does that matter?" Laxus frowned.

"More people means more noise and more noise means I might lose control and me losing control is bad." Ringo said, not making much sense.

"Why are you so difficult?" Laxus growled.

"I'm sorry." Ringo said though her face did not seem to say that. "Can you get the shoes for me?"

"No." Laxus said bluntly.

"But my feet hurt." Ringo said.

"Then go in town and get your shoes!" Laxus said.

"But I can't." Ringo said, gripping at the bark of the tree.

"This will never end, will it?" Laxus asked.

"Not until you get me my shoes." Ringo said with a pleasant smile.

"Not happening." Laxus said.

"Stingy." Ringo frowned. She looked at the town and noticed a pile of trash along the outer wall of the town. She went over to them and pulled a simple pair of sandals out, mostly clean. Wiping off some dirt, she went back to Laxus and held up her new found shoes. "Okay, I'm ready." She said, placing the shoes on her feet.

"We're getting your fear of people fixed." Laxus said, turning around and continuing to walk. Ringo shrugged and followed behind him.

If he could change her fear, she welcomed it.

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As I said above, I do accept critiques and I would love any helpful tips. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter and hopefully the second one will becoming shortly.


	2. Chapter 2: Dresses

Finally a second chapter to something XD. So here is the second chapter to Ringo's story, Silent Thunder. Action starts to happen in this one as well. I may have to slow down chapters have this one, since I work full time and I also draw. I will try to get a chapter out at least once or possibly twice a week though.

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**Silent Thunder**

**Arc I**

**Chapter 2: Dresses**

Night had fallen only an hour prior—the sun was gone, completely hidden by the horizon. Ringo and Laxus were still in the barren wasteland that they had met in. Despite finding a town to replenish supplies, they still had another half a day's walk before reaching the grassland. The two mages sat in their little campsite, keeping warm on a decent sized fire that Laxus had created. They each sat on a stone, large and flat enough to be comfortable enough for a long sit. Behind each rested a simple tent for them to sleep in when they both grew tired.

Ringo rubbed her hands together for friction and held them up to the red and orange flames. Despite the hot temperatures during the day, the wasteland was freezing at night. This was due to there being nothing in the wasteland to absorb the heat. It was also cloudless at night, which provided a gorgeous night for stargazing.

Shivering slightly, Ringo pulled her cloak around her more, curling up into a ball. Once she got enough warmth, she looked at the sky to enjoy the stars. Her pigtails were brushed over her shoulders, a safe distance from the fire pit. Laxus seemed unaffected by the nightly chill. He sat casually, legs apart and was leaning forward, towards the fire. His own cloak was just over his shoulders and draped across the stone—he did not bother cuddling up in it for warmth, finding the fire good enough. He noticed the small shiver that Ringo produced but turned back to the fire when she covered herself more with her cloak.

Ringo glanced at Laxus. The fire was reflecting in his dark eyes, causing small specks of orange to dance on his pupils. She smiled to herself and decided to give the man some time to himself. She stood up, feeling the cold hit her now uncovered legs instantly. "I'm going to bed." she said calmly. Laxus gave her a simple nod.

Ringo turned her back to him and stepped over her stone seat. She crouched down and unzipped the warn zipper of her dark green tent. The tent was new, but too many nights outside had caused the zipper to wear out; this was what she got for buying the tent cheap. A few tugs and it finally opened. Ringo moved her cloak out from underneath her so not to trip on it and crawled into her tent. She turned around when she was all the way in and started to zip it shut. When she noticed Laxus watching her, Ringo waved him good night before closing the tent completely.

Despite being enclosed in a dark tent, thanks to the glow of the fire not too far away, Ringo could see fairly well. She unclipped her cloak and laid it across her sleeping bag as an extra blanket. Quickly she took off her clothing and accessories and pulled on a simple, low-cut nightgown. It was a baby blue with a frilled hem and reached her knees. Once the dress was on, Ringo took her hair down, running her thin fingers through the whole length and messing it up in the back. Goosebumps crawled on her skin as she touched the cold ground through the thin tent bottom. She quickly scrambled to get her sleeping bag open and cuddled up inside of it. Ringo grabbed her cloak and wrapped it around her body, underneath the sleeping bag before zipping it shut. Using her bag and day clothing as a pillow, she closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

(*A*)

When the sun rose the next morning, Ringo easily got up. The sun was far enough in the sky to not be early, but still low enough to be several hours from noon. She crawled out of her tent in her baby-blue nightgown to see Laxus wide awake and had another fire started. Her long hair fell over her shoulders and looked like a wavy mess. She stood up and looked across the wasteland, seeing nothing but a few brushes and cracked ground. The ground underneath her feet was warm, almost to the point of being uncomfortable, but enough for her to stay on it.

Laxus had heard Ringo get up and was a bit surprised that she came out in her pajamas and not fully dressed. Ringo yawned slightly and ran a hand through her hair, getting a good amount of tangles out. A grilled smell reached her nose and she spotted dried meat, cooking on the open fire. Ringo knelt down and smiled at the cooking food which caused her mouth to water.

"These smell amazing." Ringo said, hearing the sizzling of the meat in their own fat.

Laxus picked up a plate from next to him and took the pieces off the frying pan and placed them on it. He handed the plate to Ringo: "Here."

Ringo smiled at him and thanked him promptly as she took the tin plate. Despite coming right off a frying pan, Ringo attempted to grab the cooked meat with her bare fingers. It burned them but she happily ate the small pieces of meat, only to burn her tongue in response. Ringo waved her hand in front of her open mouth in an attempt to cool it off. Laxus stared at her in disbelief, finding it hard to believe that she would eat the meat like that.

Laxus handed her his water canteen. With the plate on her lap, Ringo took the leather water bottle with both hands and took a large gulp of water, swallowing most of the meat whole at the same time. "Thank you." Ringo sighed, handing the canteen back to him.

"Eat slower." Laxus told her. "It's not like the food is going anywhere."

Ringo nodded sheepishly. She lifted the next piece up and blew on it carefully before taking a small bite instead of devouring it whole like the last piece. Once the piece was gone, Ringo licked her fingers clean and moved her hand behind her ear before finishing up her breakfast. "Thank you for the food." She told her traveling partner. Laxus gave her a small smile.

Ringo stood up and opened the flap of her tent and crawled in. She closed it behind her and started to get dressed. Over ten minutes passed and Ringo still did not come out. Not wanting to walk in on anything, Laxus sat and waited patiently. However, after a half hour, his patience started to wear thin. He wanted to get going and make it to the next town before the day's end. He also had no intentions of playing Ringo's hiding games and was determined to drag her into the town if that was what it came to.

"How long does it take to get dressed?" he asked the girl, loud enough for her to hear through the thin tent.

Ringo poked her head out from the tent, her hands fiddling with one of her long pigtails. The other one was perfectly fixed, tangle free and brushed well. "My hair is hard to get right." Ringo said. Whilst adjusting the sienna colored locks, she came out of the tent, wearing the same attire as the day before. "It has to be perfect." She gave a small huff and tightened the pigtail.

Laxus sighed in relief that she was finally ready and stood up. He poured sand on the fire to put it out and started getting his tent and supplies packed. Seeing Laxus getting ready to leave, Ringo tugged on her sandals and started to take her tent down as well. She found it surprisingly easier to tear the thing down and shove it into her bag than it was to put it up. With her tent packed, she placed her bag on her back.

By the time that she was done, Laxus was all ready finished and waiting for her. Ringo turned her attention to the blonde haired man and nodded that she was ready. The lightning mage turned and started to walk the direction of the town. He walked at a comfortable pace, one hand on his ransack and the other swaying slightly at his side. Ringo had to take longer strides than what she was used to in order to keep up with Laxus and his longer legs.

The two walked in silence, neither having a conversation of which they could talk about. Ringo's pigtails bounced lightly with each step that she took, fanning her neck which was already starting to accumulate sweat under the open sun. As the time went by, Laxus had put his hood up, protecting his face and neck from the heat. His face was also hidden from Ringo who trailed just behind him; she had yet to put her hood up since she enjoyed the cool wind from her hair. Soon however, this wind ended when her hair started to cling to her neck instead. Almost every other minute, Ringo had to move a wet strand from her damp neck. It finally got to the point that she simply put her hood up to not have to deal with it anymore.

Time went by fairly fast for the two mages. By two in the afternoon, they were able to see the grassy plains when they stood on a few rocks. Ringo was happy that they finally saw grass after almost two weeks of being in the wasteland. Even Laxus seemed relieved to be away from the harsh sun of the wasteland and going into a place that promised natural shade. Several minutes later, they took their first step onto fresh green grass in a long time.

Ringo slid her sandaled feet across the green blades, feeling them go between her toes and cleaning the sand out from between them. She smiled to herself and trotted across the field, her breasts bouncing slightly with each step. Laxus watched her with slight interest but continued on the beaten dirt path that had been made.

When Ringo was satisfied with her little run, she went back to the path to walk along side Laxus. "I thought I would never see green again." She said jokingly.

Laxus smirked. Simple things like these seemed to make her happy, something he had always found pointless before, but now, he just didn't understand. "How far away is the next town?" Ringo asked him.

"It shouldn't be too far." Laxus stated. Ringo accepted his answer with a smile and walked on.

Within the hour, the town was in sight. It was a small one, every house made of wood with thatched roofs. Only a small handful of people could be seen walking around on the dirt streets. There wasn't even a gate to get into the small village. If there was an alley opening to the street, you could enter. Weeds grew along the sides of houses where small clumps of grass and flowers were free. In some places, they were even up to Ringo's knees. The town was also quiet, even to Ringo's sensitive ears. The town was so quiet and small that she had no issues walking into it without hesitation.

"What a pleasant village." Ringo said. She glanced around at the people, noticing that they were all bustling about their own business, saying hello to everyone, but not stopping for conversation. Most glanced at them, recognizing the two mages as outsiders but not minding.

"Strange taste in clothing." Laxus mentioned. Ringo stopped focusing on the whole village and looked at the clothing.

Everyone was wearing clothes that looked like they came from oversized plants. Women wore dresses that resembled flower petals and buds. Many articles of clothing looked like leaves and vines as well, some even producing thorns. A woman passed right by, wearing a red rose skirt. From the short distance, Ringo could tell that the plant was real, seeing the veins and gentle curl of the tip of the petal.

"How cute." She said, instantly liking the clothing.

"I don't see it." Laxus admitted. Though the clothes weren't ugly, they were definitely not something that he would get caught dead wearing.

"I wonder if I can get one." Ringo said. She trotted ahead of him, looking for a store that sold the clothing. Laxus followed behind her, a bit reluctant to see what all clothing there was.

Ringo glanced around but could not find a clothing store, simply private housing and a few food stores. She was a bit disappointed. Before giving up, she decided to ask someone where she could get one of the outfits. She noticed a short woman, sitting at a table in front of a café and decided to ask her; Laxus followed a distance behind her. The lightning mage continued to look around the town—something felt wrong to him about the place.

Ringo reached out to the woman and placed a hand on her shoulder. The woman instantly whipped around, her tea splashing Ringo's shirt. Ringo jumped back as the cold liquid splashed against her shirt and breasts. She started to wipe the liquid off her skin as the shorter woman stood up and apologized.

"You surprised me." She said, grabbing a few napkins and helping Ringo with her shirt.

"It's alright." Ringo smiled. "I shouldn't have just grabbed you like that."

"Let me make it up to you." The woman said.

"You don't have to." Ringo said, shaking her hands.

"At least let me get you a new outfit." The woman took Ringo's hands with determined eyes. "I'll give you one from my store, free of charge. For your guy friend there too." She nodded at Laxus.

"Are you the one who sells the plant like clothing?" Ringo asked, curious. The woman nodded, her square cut bangs bouncing slightly. "Okay." Ringo smiled brightly.

The woman nodded. "My name is Flora." She said. "I specialize in turning plants into wearable clothing that don't wilt for many, many months."

Flora was a woman who stood on the shorter side. She only came to Ringo's shoulder and Ringo stood at one-hundred and seventy centimeters. She had square cut bangs and short hair that cupped her face and was a dirty blond. Her eyes were dark purple and her skin, fair with a slight dusting of freckles. She wore one of her plant outfits; a white daisy dress with yellow pollen fluff covering her breasts. It was sleeveless and flayed out at her thighs. She wore green sandals that looked like vines and Ringo found the outfit absolutely lovely.

"My name is Ringo Cloudminn." Ringo introduced herself. She put a hand in front of Laxus. "This is Laxus."

Laxus nodded his greetings to the shorter woman but didn't keep his eye off of her. Flora smiled sweetly and took Ringo's hand. "Follow me." She said, leading the two of them to her shop.

The shop was on the opposite side of the town from where Laxus and Ringo had entered. It was brown like the rest of the buildings with a sign hanging on some tree branches that were attached to the roof. The sign was etched with the words 'Flora Designs' and was painted a fading green. From the dirty glass windows, Ringo could see a few articles of clothing that were hanging for window shoppers to view.

Flora opened the wooden, unlocked door and the two mages were struck with a strong, fresh cut smell of plants. Ringo stepped in lightly, making a small clop on the untreated wooden floors. She looked around, taking everything in.

Every single article was hanging, not one folded. One half of the store was taken over by dresses based off flowers and leaves, some that could easily be named, others, not so much. Some were just skirts, smaller version of the dresses. There were even shirts made of leaves wrapped on top of each other. Some were small, barely covering the breasts while others even had sleeves. The men's clothes were mostly shirts and pants, almost all of them made from leaves and vines with a few petals here and there. It was obvious that the store was more focused on women's apparel rather than men's. Lying on a shelf were shoes, ones heeled and ones flat, many with vines to tie them up the leg. There were also gloves, jewelry and hair clips, all made from flowers and plants.

"Take whatever you like." Flora said to Ringo. "One compelte outfit is my treat."

Ringo instantly went to a rack of dresses. It had been so long since she wore one that she just had to get one now. She shifted through the floral dresses which were neatly placed on hangers in the rack. Her eyes stuck to ones of a blue or purple color. She knew exactly what color she wanted and planned to stick with it.

Laxus leaned against the wall by the door, arms crossed over his chest, watching Ringo shuffle through the clothing for anything that caught her attention. He had no interest in the clothing, but he had a bad feeling about the store and could not just leave Ringo by herself in it. His dark eyes wondered to Flora who was helping Ringo decide on a dress. He watched the two women, not understanding their fascination with clothing but understanding that his instincts were telling him to be careful.

Ringo finally chose one and went to a changing room that was by the counter. Whilst Ringo changed into the dress that she picked, Flora handed her a pair of shoes, bracelets and some hair clips. After several minutes, the young mange finally moved the green curtain aside.

The dress she had chosen was a soft purple that faded to a matching blue at the bottom. It was rather short, with four distinct petals in the front, back and sides and ended at her upper thighs. The back was longer than the front but a green leaf went down the middle of the front, reaching to her knees. It had thin stem like straps for sleeves and a green edge, covering half the breasts. Her pigtails each had a bushel of tiny flowers holding them up. These flowers matched her dress and the bracelets on either wrist. The shoes were green with vines wrapping up to her ankles and tied in bows at the back. The dress fit her well, emphasizing her curves and legs.

Ringo twirled happily in her new outfit and thanked Flora repeatedly. She went over to Laxus who couldn't help but smile a bit at how happy Ringo was in her new outfit. She held up a small, red carnation for Laxus. The lighting mage stared at it as Ringo put it in his breast pocket.

"Since you won't wear an outfit, you can have this." She said with a solid smile.

The two left the shop with Ringo and Flora still waving good bye to each other. The two mages only took a few steps away from the store when a shiver ran down Laxus's spine. He turned back to the shop with an uneasy feeling. Ringo noticed that he was no longer following her and stopped to look at him.

"Is something wrong?" Ringo asked him, a smile still pasted on her face.

Laxus turned back to her. "No." he said quietly. "It's nothing."

Ringo frowned, hearing Laxus's tone but didn't question it any further. The sound of something shuffling caught her attention and she looked around, trying to find the source. It sounded close, but also far away. It sounded as if something was moving, rubbing against something with quite a bit of difficulty, but it was almost too quiet. Ringo moved in place slightly, the soft petal feel of her clothing rubbing against her bare skin. It felt good moving in these clothes that she decided to ignore the little sound that she heard.

"Let's find a hotel." Laxus said, walking past her as she indulged herself in her new clothing.

Ringo snapped back to the present and quickly followed him, holding her bag in her hand instead of on her shoulders. The two walked along the town, searching for a small hotel to stay in for the night. Neither had any intentions of staying in the town for longer than a day, but an actual bed would be nice to sleep in. After going through the town multiple times, they could not find a single hotel. With a frustrated sigh, it was decided that they would be camping in the fields outside of the town.

As the two made their way to the exit of the village, a flow of magic swept through it, bouncing off of houses and seeming to suck into the humans. The hairs on the back of Ringo's neck stood on edge at the feeling of it sinking into her. It almost made her sick as a white dust started to float up, reaching to her knees.

"Don't breathe it in!" Laxus warned her, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. Ringo instantly covered her mouth with both hands and looked around her. The villagers were covering their mouths as well, some rushing to get inside and away from the magic infused fog.

A tightening feeling grew around Ringo, as if the clothes she wore were getting too tight. It was uncomfortable at first but soon grew to more. Whilst she felt the pressure on her stomach, screams came from people around the village, ringing in her ears, causing her pain. She cringed as more and more came, from men and women and even children.

Of the few villagers that were around them, Ringo and Laxus watched as they fell to the ground, almost as if pinned down. It did not take long for Ringo to learn what it was that caused them to fall. The floral dress she wore suddenly tightened up much more, the green leaf in the front grew longer, pinning her arms to her sides. Vines grew from the flower bracelets and tied her wrists together behind her back. Ringo didn't even have time to scream as the vines of her shoes tied her legs together, causing her to lose her balance and fall on her butt.

Laxus instantly turned to Ringo when he heard a small squeal from her as she fell into the fog. He knelt down and noticed that it was the clothing that tied Ringo and the rest of the village up. "That damn woman…" he cursed under his breath. The fog now started to clear, having done what it was supposed to do.

The plants continued to tighten around Ringo, making it harder of her to breath. Her face made it obvious that she was uncomfortable and struggling to even breathe. Laxus gripped at the leaf that was adding pressure to her chest and ribs. He managed to dig his fingers underneath it, between the flower dress and the leaf itself. Once his grip was solid, Laxus pulled at it. Expecting it to come off easily, he was surprised when the leaf held strong. The lightning mage yanked at it a few more times but still it did not come off.

Cursing, Laxus managed to get his other hand under the leaf and started to pull at it more. The vines continued to tighten around Ringo, causing her to gasp in pain. She sucked in air, trying to keep oxygen flowing despite the pressure. Whilst trying to free Ringo, Laxus did not notice the carnation that Ringo had given him start to move until he felt a stabbing pain in his chest. He looked down at his purple dress shirt where the stem of the carnation was stabbing him. A small stain of blood started to form, making the shirt darker. The carnation seemed to turn at Laxus and grinned, showing that it had teeth, razor sharp teeth.

Ringo flinched at the sight of the plant and felt the movement of the flowers on her head. Her two hair clips unpinned from her hair, causing the long locks to flow freely as they too grinned at Laxus with rows of teeth. Laxus attempted to free his hands from the leaf to swat away the toothy flowers but found himself trapped.

Seeing that Laxus could not free his fingers, Ringo leaned forward and bit at the carnation in his pocket. She yanked it out of him, hearing him wince slightly and a few droplets of blood hitting her face. The carnation started to squirm in her teeth so she crunched down on it before spitting it out. The flower continued to move until Laxus shocked it with a small strike of lighting. The flower turned to ash as Ringo flinched and he turned back to the ones on her head.

The small flower clips shook in fear and jumped off her head, trying to run away from the annoyed lightning mage. They did not get far however as Laxus sent another jolt at them, ending him as he had the carnation. He turned his focus back to the leaf wrapped around his fingers and Ringo. He charged electricity into his hands and tore the leaf up, freeing his hand and giving Ringo a slight shock.

She shook it off, knowing that he had a reason for it. However, before he could even think of freeing the rest of her, the leaf started to regenerate, tightening around Ringo's chest.

"We'll have to burn it all off." Laxus said, forming a ball of electricity in his hand.

"I don't like that idea." Ringo frowned. It had already hurt her ears enough to hear the bolts so close, but being covered in the electricity did not sit well in her stomach.

"Rather be suffocated by the clothes?" Laxus asked her with a raised brow.

Footsteps silenced both of them. They turned to see Flora, standing perfectly fine, her floral clothes not restricting her as they were to everyone else. Behind her, the groans of suffering villagers could be heard. The woman was frowning now, glaring at the two mages as if they had murdered someone precious to her.

"I won't forgive you…"

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I do accept critiques and I would love any helpful tips. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	3. Chapter 3: Castle of Vines

Third chapter is up! I think there has been a bit of confusion to some readers so I want to make this clear. This is placed after Laxus had been kicked out of the guild. That is why he acts the way he does. Please enjoy.

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**Silent Thunder**

**Arc I**

**Chapter 3: Castle of Vines**

Thick tears rolled down the woman's face; they were constant, like a small waterfall that trickled down a rocky cliff in a forested mountain. The type that tricked people into going off of the path to find it thinking that it would be large and impressive, but they were not. Laxus furrowed his brows at Flora, knowing that this was all her doing. That it was her magic that caused the clothing to come alive.

Flora stood only a few feet away, she was shaking, tears still falling, her face red from anger and sadness. Her face was ugly, scrunched up with many wrinkles in her brow. "How dare you." She repeated. "How dare you kill my children!" This time her voice was louder, shouting and echoing through the street but drowned in the struggles of others. She quickly wiped away her tears with the back of her hand and forearm. Her face was perfectly fine now, no redness and only slight tear stains but it was angry. Despite her situation, Ringo could not help but wonder who she looked so pretty after crying when she always had looked like a mess.

"So we were supposed to let them hurt us?" Ringo asked with difficulty.

"Yes!" Flora shouted. "You should just stay out of my way! I have a plan!"

"Which is?" Laxus asked, never taking his eyes off the woman. Ringo mumbled to herself behind him.

"I'm taking over this town." Flora said simply. "I will become the most important person, become rich and live with ease."

Ringo stared at Flora with an empty face; she could not help but find the plan to be absolutely stupid. She glanced at Laxus and though his mouth was just in a tight line, it was obvious that he thought the same. Laxus stood up. He faced Flora completely and lifted his hand to be at chest level. Electricity began to generate in the palm of his hand, illuminating his face and putting Ringo into the shadows.

"This just makes things easier." He told Flora. He lifted his hand above his head and a bolt of lightning struck down, right in front of the plant mage. Ringo stared straight the bolt and though it disappeared instantly, she kept seeing spots and the bright line of it, even after blinking several times. Flora had fallen back in fear; she was shaking, sweating and staring at the hole that was burnt into the dirt. It was centimeters from her feet; she felt sick and like she was about to cry. She had no clue that these people were mages, she thought that fire was used against her plants, not lightning.

There was only one plan going through Flora's mind: running. She couldn't win as she was; she had no chances against a lightning mage. There were also the possibilities of the other girl being one which meant an impossible to beat mage plus another one. Flora put out her hand as Laxus prepared another attack, this time to hit the younger mage. He stopped for a second, preparing for what she might do. A green magic circle appeared at her palm but nothing came out. Immediately after it appeared, the clothing on Ringo loosened and turned back into ordinary flowers, leaving her stark naked.

Laxus glanced back at Ringo as he saw the clothing moving again. When he saw her clothing disappear, he immediately looked away. It was then that he noticed Flora, running away with all her might. Ringo never noticed Flora's escape; she was too busy sighing in relief at being able to breath, and covering herself up. She brought her knees to her chest and folded her hands over her crotch area in order to hide everything. A blush was evident on her tanned cheeks but she showed no signs of extreme embarrassment.

"I'm happy to have the dress off…" she began with a sigh. "But I don't like where this left me."

Laxus dropped his coat on top of her and stepped a few feet away. Ringo looked at him as she pulled the coat over top of her. Compared to Laxus, Ringo was only several centimeters shorter, just at shoulder level, but Laxus was broader and his large jacket was still too large on her. The sleeves went a good five inches past her hands and the bottom was down to her ankles. Despite the sleeve length, Ringo somehow managed to get it closed enough to cover everything, but still allowed her to walk.

"Thank you." Ringo told Laxus, lifting her hands up to show that she meant for the coat. Laxus didn't say anything, just turned to the direction that Flora ran off to.

"Let's go." He said, beginning to walk in her direction.

Ringo looked at his back with a bit of surprise. She quickly grabbed her back and followed after him. The fur of his jacket brushed against her bare skin, causing her to smile at how it tickled. "How come we're following her?" she asked Laxus, coming up next to him.

"To finish this." Laxus said simply.

Ringo stared at him and smiled. Laxus was a bit rough, but she couldn't deny that he was a good person. "Well she was rude." Ringo said simply. "So do you plan to just beat her up?"

Laxus said nothing and Ringo pouted slightly. Flora had seemed nice, it was almost like a complete change when she started to take over the town. She glanced around them as they walked along the empty street. Men and women struggled with the plant like clothing. Even children were shown no mercy. They all suffered as it squeezed tighter around them. Some fought against the clothes, making it worse, while others simply stayed still and focused on breathing. At times, they begged the two mages for help. Ringo would glance back at Laxus each time someone asked, but he always seemed to ignore them.

Their destination was obvious: Flora's shop. That was the only place where the plant mage could be. The two turned the corner that had the little shop at the end of it. As soon as both were in view of the store, the ground started to shake. Large, thorned vines burst from the ground, breaking it up as they wrapped around the store. The vines wrapped around each other, flowers bursting open in some places as well as leaves. They wrapped around, looking like buds in the thorny mess.

By the time the ground stopped shaking and the vines stopped moving, a very creepy and plant based castle was in place. Ringo stared at it with wide eyes while Laxus just stared with a straight face that was not completely straight. "I guess she dreams to be a princess?" Ringo asked Laxus with a joking voice.

The lightning mage just looked at her from the corner of his eye and continued forward. As they drew closer to the entrance, the castle seemed to get larger and larger, blocking out the mid afternoon sun and drowning them in a cold shadow. Ringo did not even have to shield her eyes from the sun as she looked up, attempting to see to the top tower. "She's probably at the top." Ringo stated the obvious. "All the villains are at the top."

"What will you do?" Laxus asked her, not expecting her to fight.

"Stay out here and watch you." Ringo told him with a smile.

Laxus stared at her. "Give me back my jacket." He said

Ringo stopped smiling and stared at him. "Why?" she asked.

"No one is around so you don't need it anymore." He said, gesturing to the empty road.

"I'll go in." Ringo said instantly.

Laxus looked away from her and made his way to the door. Ringo followed behind him reluctantly. They stopped in front of what appeared to be a door. It was several thick stems, vertical and a lighter green colored compared to the almost black green of the vines of the castle. There was no handle for the door however, only a rectangle of the branches. Laxus placed his hand on the fines. Despite being in the shade, they were warm and had a pulse, as if they were alive and had a heart. He could also feel the magic running through them. Despite the way she looked and acted, this Flora woman was a powerful mage.

Laxus gathered magic in the palm of his hand again and released it into the stems. They charred instantly under the intense plasma blast. A whole in the stems was made, large enough for even Laxus's large girth to enter. However, like the plant clothing, this one started to regenerate itself, however, much slower than the plant one. Noticing the slow recovery, Laxus made his way in. Ringo followed behind him, finding no point in hesitating outside the castle.

The inside of the castle was very dark, even with the large hole in the door, there was barely any light and most of the interior was impossible to see. Ringo attempted to look around but her eyes were slow to adjust. It became even worse when the hole in the door completely closed and the room was almost pitch black.

Ringo took a step forward despite the darkness, bumping into Laxus who was standing still. She looked up out of habit despite not being able to see him. She could, however, see the thin outline of his spiky blonde hair and the silver spikes of his headphones. Laxus didn't even move as she bumped into him. He was standing still and glancing around, seeing if his eyes could adjust to the darkness.

After a few minutes of silence their still their eyes could not adjust. The sound of movements reached Ringo's ears. Despite having the volume on them turned down more than usual, she could still hear the shuffling through the plant castle. "Laxus…" Ringo said quietly, informing him of their guests.

Ringo was still pretty close to Laxus's back, so when he moved and shot a small amount of electricity to his right, she could feel his movements. The bolt was thin but still loud, causing Ringo to cover her ears as it struck some of the vines. However, instead of charring it, the vines were lit on fire, illuminating the whole room.

With the fire burning, they could see what was moving. The creatures were like humans wrapped in vines, with thorns sticking out of their shoulders and elbows. Some had flowers and buds sprouting from them. They stopped moving when the fire was started, obviously having expected to attack in the dark. The creatures were around five feet tall and moved quickly once they adjusted to the flame.

In no time, the creatures surrounded them. Ringo turned her back to Laxus, almost pressing hers to his. Without warning, the strange creatures attacked them; some charging forward while others jumped to attack from the sky. Ringo looked up at the ones that had jumped and stepped back slightly, pressing her back against Laxus's. The mage turned his head to see what had caused her to back up.

His frown turned into a scowl as he noticed the ones jumping. He lifted his hand in the air. A magic circle appeared above them, bright yellow and already sparking with electricity. Seeing the new source of light and feeling the massive amount of magic in the attack, Ringo immediately ducked down.

As soon as she hit the ground, large strikes of electricity shot out from the magic circle. Despite it being above them, Laxus controlled the bolts to only attack the vine creatures, creating a Fairy Ring of electricity. As the lightning struck, Ringo was crouched in a ball, covering her ears and closing her eyes tight. Even with her eyes closed, she could only see yellow from the lightning and could even feel the heat it gave off.

The lightning stopped after several seconds. The smell of burning plant substances filled the already stuffy room. Ringo opened her eyes when the smoke crawled across her face. She sat up slightly and looked around. The vine creatures were charred black, smoking and some even with little flames dancing on them. None of them, however, were regenerating like the door and clothing had. When she noticed that they were down for the count, Ringo stood up all of the way, adjusting the fur coat that Laxus let her borrow as she did.

"Can I get a warning next time?" Ringo asked him, turning to face him. "It's rude to attack without warning."

Laxus glanced at her and gave her a simple shrug before walking towards his fire. He ripped the dying vine off of the wall, creating a make shift torch without worry. Ringo watched him but when her surrounding area started to become dark from the lack of lighting, she followed him to not get lost. Laxus wasn't moving much. She moved the fire around the room, looking for any sign of a door or entrance; however, none was found.

Ringo looked around as well, unable to spot anything, even a slight difference in color like the main door was. She closed her eyes, to think if there was anything that she had missed. With her eyes closed, Ringo could hear a slight breeze blowing in the room. She opened her eyes and looked upwards.

"We have to go up." She told Laxus. "There's an opening up there." She pointed up to the ceiling. Now that they were focusing on it, a circle light could be seen.

Laxus looked up, noticing the light and figuring it to be an opening. "But how do we get there?" Ringo asked aloud.

Laxus didn't say anything, he simply activated his magic. Ringo watched him turn into a bolt of electricity and made his way up to the opening in less than three seconds. Ringo watched mouth ajar, in awe. She saw Laxus stand up and could see him gesture for her to come up as well.

"I can't do that." Ringo said, loud enough for Laxus to hear her echo.

Laxus came down quickly, landing in front of her. Ringo stared up at him, a bit confused by the irritated face he wore. Laxus reached out and grabbed the back of the collar of his jacket, managing to pick Ringo a few centimeters off the ground. The jacket pushed against her arm pits, causing discomfort as she flailed her legs slightly. Ringo gripped the front of the collar with her hands to keep herself from slipping through.

"Please put me down." She asked Laxus, almost level to his face. Laxus gave her a smirk that was definitely evil and Ringo couldn't help but shiver.

Though he was as fast as before and didn't use his lightning, Laxus easily scaled the vine covered walls, only using his feet. Ringo instantly gripped his wrist when he started to jump, her eyes wide in fright and never leaving Laxus's face despite him not looking at her. Though it felt like an eternity to Ringo, after just a minute or two of scaling, Laxus made it to where the opening was and dropped Ringo who fell to her knees.

The brunette panted slightly despite having managed to keep quiet and gripped at the solid ground under her. "I think, I'll learn to climb." She said with heavy breaths.

Laxus looked at her as she caught her breath and went to the wide opening. It was like an entrance, letting in the light but not enough to illuminate the room they had been in before. He stood at the edge and noticed it continued out on a large leaf. He tested it by putting his foot on it and found it to be solid. Knowing that the platform was secure, the lightning mage walked out onto it. Ringo followed him after her heart settled and her legs were no longer jelly. She looked out at the horizon and could see the whole entire town from where she stood. It was a pretty sight, accept she could even see the struggling people in the bright flower clothing.

The two looked above them to find another path that could lead them on. Ringo frowned as she noticed that they were not even half way up the castle yet. Laxus walked back towards the entrance and stopped just beside it. Here, a stairway of thorns was waiting, wrapping around the beanstalk tower that they were outside of. Laxus immediately started to climb the stairs despite how short they were.

Ringo followed behind him, staying a few steps back as a precaution. As they climbed, she could feel the wind underneath her, causing her to shiver and remember that she wore nothing underneath the jacket that Laxus had loaned her. She wrapped it around her more and thought about getting new clothes once this was all over with. She didn't have a spare and the shirt she had lost was her favourite, making her hope she could find it again.

Ringo's mind stuck with clothing and small pleasures while Laxus simply focused on what was ahead of them. It wasn't silent as they climbed. The wind wrapped around the castle, causing them to force down as it attempted to push them off. Birds chirped and the mumbling complaints of the villagers reached them as well. The castle seemed to moan as the wind struck it as well. The higher they climbed, the larger the knot in Ringo's stomach grew. She wasn't necessarily afraid of heights, but being up so high without a proper railing caused her to be nervous. She could not look over her side to see how high she was but could tell from the cracks in the thorns.

As they continued to climb, Laxus stepped on a thorn that instantly cracked under his foot. Ringo's head snapped up as it fell and she watched Laxus quickly regain his balance by moving down the steps. The two mages stopped for a few seconds before Laxus continued to climb, easily over stepping the broken step. Ringo managed to step over it as well though did it much slower than Laxus out of fear of falling but easily made it. She looked up at the back of the taller man. Somehow, it reassured her to know that he was taking the lead in this.

After walking a while more, the two came to another leaf. Laxus walked onto it without testing it, assured that it could hold their weight as it did. Ringo stepped onto it as well, this time, feeling the fuzziness of it under her bare feet, something she had not felt on the other one. Believing it to be another type of leaf, she noticed that it was also shaped different. Though Laxus could feel the different texture of the leaf through his boots, he paid no heed and walked over to the opening that was against the vines.

When they entered, they noticed that this room, unlike the other was well lit and held a low ceiling. There was also another exit that revealed even more stairs. Ringo frowned; her legs were already getting sore from the first flight of stairs that they had climbed. The room was small and practically empty aside from a large flower that was in front of the stairway. It was a white carnation and the bloom was the size of Laxus's chest.

The two mages stepped closer to it, both with a bit of caution. Their opponent was a plant mage and they had seen her vicious little flowers first handed. They continued to step forward until they stepped too close and the flower erupted. The middle of it split open, showing rows of razor sharp teeth and a long slobbery tongue. It screamed and wiggled itself free from the fines, showing its root legs. The petals started to turn a deep red as it crunched up and almost glared at the two mages, despite having no visible eyes.

Ringo took a step back as the creature started to move, especially since the flower now stood taller than Laxus. It stepped closer, saliva dripping down its lips and petals, puddling at the floor. Laxus stared at the flower, very unimpressed with what he saw before him. Ringo on the other hand, slinked behind Laxus in order to hide from it. Laxus didn't even bother raising his hand completely to attack; he shoved his hands into his trouser pockets. He gave the flower a glare and a large bolt of electricity charred the toothy flower.

Ringo peaked out from behind him. "I'm really thinking I shouldn't have come." She said, knowing that she was being useless.

"Then you lead." Laxus told her, moving so that she was no longer hiding. Ringo looked at him with a face saying that she didn't want to. However, Laxus just raised an eyebrow, hands still in his pockets.

Ringo walked forward to take the lead. She walked around the burnt up flower, not wanting to step in the ashes with her bare feet. She went over to the stairs and looked up at them. However, she could not see much due to the curve in the stairs. She swallowed hard and started to walk up the stairs which were made of wood and not vine like the rest. The wood was warm under her feet, despite their being no light or sources of warmth.

The stairs didn't creak as they climbed them. Ringo's bare feet made small patting noises as she took a step while Laxus's steps were much louder since he was wearing boots. These stairs were much shorter than the thorn like ones that they climbed on the outside of the castle. The ended shortly but it was much more obvious that they spiraled and Ringo had already lost which direction they were facing.

Ringo finally saw the top of the stairs. As she climbed up, she came out from the floor and they were only given a small square opening. She went up it first and stopped, and just a few steps behind her was Laxus who also stopped when he got off of the stairway as well. They were now in a large open room where one wall was completely opened, allowing all of the sun light to come through. The suns light warmed them up instantly after they had walked in the dark and cold like castle for so long. Ringo even had to move her feet slightly from the warmth of the vines underneath them.

As they looked around the room, their eyes stopped on a single chair, fit for the king of Fiore himself. It was large, wrapped in vines and thorns and decorated with flowers of all kinds. Sitting on the chair with her hands on the arms of it, fists clenched and looking down, was Flora. She wore a different dress; this one was white like her daisy dress, but longer and more elegant. A vine like crown was wrapped into her hair with large red roses to replace ruby gems.

She looked up when she felt their attention on her. Rage danced in her eyes, her teeth were clenched, grinding against each other. Her brows were furrowed, causing veins to pop in her forehead. She glared at Laxus and Ringo and pointed at Laxus. "I was going to forgive you for killing my babies the first time!" she shouted, her voice cracking slightly under her anger. "But no more!"

Flora stood up and swept her hand out in front of her. Several small magic circles appeared in front of her and once they did, several red carnations, toothy and drooling like the first also appeared. "I won't just let you go this time!" Flora continued to yell.

"You were the one who ran away." Laxus reminded her.

Flora flinched and hesitated. "I-I simply went to prepare for your attack!" she stuttered.

"Didn't you just say you were forgiving us?" Ringo reminded her with a smile.

Flora glared at her and Ringo's smile stayed. In her anger, Flora increased her carnation army. "End them!" she ordered, thrusting her hand forward.

Laxus didn't even bother moving from where he stood. He put his hand out in front of them, conjuring a large magic circle. Lightning started to rain down from it, striking whatever was underneath it. Laxus pushed Ringo back, out of range of the attack but causing her to fall on her butt.

The lightning completely rained on the enemy, including Flora who screamed in pain. Ringo covered her ears as she heard the agonizing scream. The lightning strike ended shortly but it had done its job. The carnations were defeated and Flora lay on the floor, unconscious and burnt badly. Her eyes were white, hair frizzy and dress burnt up in a lot of places.

Ringo sat up, though still sitting on the floor. She looked at Flora and the burnt up carnations in awe. "Well that ended quickly." She told Laxus with a smile as she stood up. Soon after she did, the castle began to shake. The vines started to tear and dissolve underneath of them, showing sure fire signs of the castle collapsing.

And it wasn't long before it did. With little warning, the floor of vines underneath them collapsed, causing them to fall as well. Ringo instinctively gripped Laxus's shirt, getting dragged down faster as she held onto his sleeve.

The whole entire castle collapsed into a pile of crumbed and torn vines, loose petals and a lot of dust. Pieces of wood from the original store stuck up, splintered or surprisingly only scratched in random places. Laxus managed to land on his feet but was crouched down while Ringo lay next to him, face down but her hand still gripping his sleeve.

She sat up, sporting a bloody nose and some bruises and scratches but generally unharmed. She let go of Laxus's sleeve and wiped the blood away from her nose with the back of her hand. It hurt but was something that only brought small tears from her eyes. She stood up along with Laxus. The castle was a pile of rubble now and the sun shined back on the village. Flora could be seen, buried under her vines and flowers.

Ringo looked out at the village and noticed that the clothing on people had turned back into flowers. Many of them cheered in relief before running back to their homes for a new set of clothing. Some screams of terror or embarrassment could be heard from women who disliked their new found nakedness. Despite this, Ringo could not help but smile at the fact that they had managed to save the village from the plant mage. Even though it was really saved by Laxus.

Laxus dusted himself off quickly. "Let's go." He said, having no intentions of staying in the village for any longer than that.

Ringo snapped into attention and looked at Laxus. The blonde haired man was already making his way off of the pile of rubble and onto the dirt road. Ringo jumped down, watching where she landed carefully and made it to the road.

Laxus picked up his bag which he found entangled on a thorn after it had been dropped in the fall. Ringo's had been on her shoulder and somehow managed to stay on it. When she reached the road, Laxus turned on his heel and started to make his way out of the village. Ringo followed behind him, his large coat floating behind her as she walked. When they got to the edge of the village, she turned to look at the village again. People were coming out of their houses, wearing clothing of a much plainer style than the floral clothing but obviously what they had been used to.

"The present has become the past." She whispered.

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I do accept critiques and I would love any helpful tips. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	4. Chapter 4: New Horrors

Chapter four is up! I want to thank everyone for all of the support that they have given me so far. I am hoping that I will be able to complete this story by the end of summer. Please enjoy.

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**Silent Thunder**

**Arc II**

**Chapter 4: New Horrors**

Ringo sat comfortably on a fallen tree that rested along the side of the road. It had been three days since the incident with the plant mage and she was tired from walking. She moved slightly, getting comfortable against the hard bark of the dead tree. The wind was blowing gently, moving the loose shirt she wore. After losing her clothing in the previous town, Ringo had managed to find the exact same clothing at the next town. Though there were difficulties with her no wanting to go into the town and her being naked and Laxus getting frustrated at her once again.

Said man was now standing behind her, leaning against another tree with his arms crossed and eyes closed. Though Ringo had been the one to ask for a break, mostly due to her wearing sandals that were very uncomfortable to walk long distances in, he too was resting. Ringo let out a small sigh and stretched as she sat. She ran a few fingers through her hair and frowned. It had been a long time since she last took a bath and she really needed one. She looked back at Laxus.

"Is there a river around here?" she asked him. Laxus opened his eyes.

"I don't know." He said, standing up straight.

Ringo frowned and stood up. "I need a bath." She admitted, starting to walk. Laxus followed behind her. Though he didn't admit it aloud, he too wanted one.

Ringo trudged a bit, before lifting her head up. Though she had only walked a few feet, the sound of a small current reached her ears. She smiled and looked at Laxus. "I hear a river!" she explained. "Let's go there."

She grabbed his hand with both of hers and pulled slightly to get him to go with her idea. Though a bit annoyed at her being pushy, Laxus did nothing more than brush her hands off and gesture for her to lead the way. Ringo didn't mind when Laxus pushed her hand away, just simply turned around and quickly walked towards the sound.

After several kilometers of walking, they came to a row of bushes and trees. On the other side of it was a clear river. Ringo bounded to the edge which was rocky and could see the bottom of the river. The bottom was nothing bit rocks, much like the shore and just a few fish swam through it. From where she stood, Ringo estimated the water to be two or so feet in depth and twenty across. She put her tanned fingers in the water, feeling how cool it was despite the afternoon sun. She stood up and waved at Laxus who was standing at the bushes.

"I'll go first." She told him. Laxus gave her a curt nod, turned around and sat behind the bushes where he couldn't see her.

Ringo smiled and began to take her clothes off. She laid them across the sun warmed rocks, putting a few bigger stones on them so they didn't blow away. Once she was done, she let down her hair, having it reach just past her knees. After taking her clothes off, Ringo quickly slipped into the cold water, shiver as it pooled around her. She sat near the edge but deep enough that the water reached her shoulders as she crouched. Ringo couldn't swim and didn't want to risk going to the center where it could possibly be deeper. Taking a deep breath, she dunked under the surface to get her hair wet and came up immediately. She shook her head and wiped the water away from her eyes the best she could.

Ringo turned on her stomach and reached for her bag. She grabbed some soap from it and poured the gel into her hands. She moved her hands quickly to her head, trying not to lose any of the large amounts of gel she had to use for her long hair. Moving her hands, Ringo created a nice lather of the blue coloured gel, turning it white and covering her in soap. She stood up, the water reaching only to her knees now and started scrubbing her body along with her hair.

Ringo was careful when cleaning, making sure that every inch of her hair was cleaned as well as her own body. Once she was down, she sat down, letting the small rush of water wash away most of the water on her skin. She leaned against the bank and lifted her leg above the surface, feeling the bit of weight from the water that had soaked in. She started rubbing her legs with the soap. Afterwards, Ringo dunked under the water and worked hard to get the soap out of her hair.

Once she managed to do so, Ringo rinsed her hair out once more and reached for the towel that was in her bag. She carefully wrapped it around her body and begun to wring out her hair. A thick stream of water poured from the very tip of her hair, splashing on the rocks and turning them a darker shade of brown. Ringo wrung her hair out multiple times before deciding that it wasn't going to get any drier.

Ringo took her towel off her waist and started to dry her skin the best she could. Afterwards, she pulled on her clothes, feeling her still wet hair soak the back of them. With a sigh, Ringo started to dry her hair as she went to the bushes where Laxus was still sitting. She leaned over the bush and smiled. "I'm done." She said, stepping around the bush.

Laxus had been sitting with his back to the river, legs crossed and arms as well. His eyes were closed and jaw hard, as if he was concentrating on some deep thought. When Ringo told him that she was done, he glanced up at her. Seeing her dressed and still drying her hair, Laxus stood up. Leaving his cloak and bag behind, he simply took a towel and his own soap with him.

Ringo sat down where Laxus had been sitting, her back to the river as he had. She kept her headphones close to her as she dried her hair which was still very much wet. With her headphones off, Ringo was a bit tense, hearing things at a level that could not be perceived by normal human ears. Her ears ring with the buzzing of insects, the wind in the leaves and the gentle splashing of water from Laxus taking his bath. Soon the pounding in her ears became too much and even with her hair still wet, she put the headphones on, sighing in relief when the noise dulled.

Several minutes passed with Ringo simply sitting behind the bush, wandering when Laxus would be done. She waited patiently for her companion to finish, not wanting to disturb him. However, not five minutes had passed when the sounds of angry footsteps and yelling reached Ringo's ears. She sat up straight and looked around but then realized that the yelling was right behind her.

Forgetting all about Laxus taking a bath, Ringo looked over the bush, seeing the new stranger, as well as a completely naked Laxus. Well, his butt anyway. Once Ringo realized that Laxus wasn't dressed yet but had noticed her watching, she raised her hands. "Oopsies." She laughed half heartedly. "Sorry." Slowly Ringo turned around her made it obvious that she was covering her eyes.

Laxus said nothing, simply dried off and got dressed, half ignoring the man who was currently yelling at him about bathing in his river. Hear him pull his clothes on, Ringo risked a peak and noticed that he was dressed. She quickly got her things and brought them over to him, giving the blonde another apology. She then remembered the guy who was staring at them, angry that they were still ignoring him.

"Is something wrong?" She asked him nonchalantly.

A vein burst in his forehead as Laxus accepted his things from Ringo. "You damn teenagers are skinny dipping in my river, that's my problem!" he shouted, accusing them of things they didn't do.

"I'm not a teenager." Ringo said, ignoring the second part.

"Same." Laxus said. He glanced down at Ringo, not too surprised to hear that she was not a teen. Though a bit childish, there was something about her that made her older.

"It doesn't matter how old you are, it is indecent!" the man continued to argue. "What would people think if they saw two kids, naked in my river? I am an influential man."

Ringo frowned and looked the man over. He was tall but still shorter than Laxus with black hair that was combed and gelled neatly. He wore a purple dress shirt, black pants and a gold embroidered black trench coat. Jeweled encrusted buttons and cuff clips were on the jacket and his pants. He gave an aura of self-importance but still showed wrinkles of age.

"Sorry." Ringo said with a kind smile. "We just wanted to take a bath since we haven't had one in a while."

The man's face calmed down upon hearing the words. He immediately suspected the worse and his face grew to pity. "Are you children homeless?" he asked.

Ringo shook her head. "Just traveling." She said.

"Well I must welcome you to stay at my mansion." He said with a smile. "As an apology for accusing you of wrong doings. Oh yes, my name is John."

Ringo's face lit up, oblivious to any intentions that the man had and instantly agreed. Laxus stared at the man, suspicious but deciding not to question it. Ringo was right on board and he knew very well that the woman's opinion was not to easily changed. The man led them to a fair sized carriage that held two black horses in the front. The man opened the door and smiled at Ringo and Laxus.

"Watch your step." He said. "My home is a distance away."

Ringo's eyes lit up at the carriage. She walked around it, taking the vehicle in. It was a dark wood, simple yet elegant with faded gold and red trim. The horses were solid black, their manes and tails groomed and cut to perfection. Their harnesses were of dark leather and encrusted with blood red jewels. The interior was a rich wine fabric, soft to the touch and roomy with a curtain across the door and window.

Ringo took the first step in it and glanced at Laxus. The man was staring at the carriage with a bit of hesitation. She was confused with his expression and reached for his upper arm, tugging at it slightly. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Laxus looked at Ringo as soon as her cold hands touched his arm. His mouth was drawn tight and he took a step to the carriage. His pride refused to tell them the main reason for feeling uneasy.

Ringo sat down across from the door and Laxus took the spot next to her. He gave her plenty of room and crossed his arms over his chest, closing his eyes. John sat down in the carriage, across from Ringo and closed the door. With a clap of his hands, the horses started to trot, tugging at the carriage lightly. Ringo glanced up at Laxus, hearing a small noise from his throat but his face remained calm.

"Please, tell me your names." John asked them, starting a friendly conversation.

"My name is Ringo Cloudminn." Ringo said with a smile. She raised her hand at Laxus who seemed to be refusing to answer. "This is Laxus Dreyar."

John's eyes flashed to Laxus quickly but looked back at Ringo. "So why are you two traveling?" he asked.

"Just because." Ringo said, not really sure how to answer it. She didn't know Laxus's reasons and talking about her own was an uncomfortable topic, especially to a stranger. "It's fun though."

"The same can be said about my home." John said, accepting Ringo's half hearted response. "My home has a dress code, however. But do not worry, I will provide you with the proper clothing."

Ringo cheered silently, completely forgetting what the last incident with new clothing had brought her too. She glanced up at Laxus again, hearing another sound from his throat but still saw no reaction on his face. She was a bit worried but decided to wait until they got off the carriage to question it.

After a half hour, the carriage finally stopped outside a large mansion. Along the way, Ringo had watched the dirt path and green plains turn to cobblestone and rows of trees that had been planted perfectly. She watched as flowered bushes and an iron gate opened wait to this brick mansion that gave off a strange feeling that left a pit in her stomach. Still, Ringo was amazed at the sheer size of the building.

John got off the carriage first and helped Ringo down the steps. Laxus followed close behind her. As John steered he carriage away, he sighed silently and took a deep breath. Ringo looked up at her traveling partner. "Do you get motion sickness?" she asked him bluntly. The noises that she had heard in his throat must have been from holding back.

Laxus looked at her and glanced away, his jaw tight. "Tell no one." He muttered and glanced up at the mansion. Ringo smiled at him, somehow satisfied to see this side of Laxus. She moved next to him, nudging his arm slightly.

"Don't worry, I have no one to tell." She said. "Which is why I'm telling you this: you have a nice butt."

She gave Laxus a toothy grin, her eyes closed and unable to see the expression he gave her. It was one of confusion and a bit of disbelief, his sharp eyes wider than normal and his brows raised. Ringo followed John to the mansion, not waiting for Laxus's response. The lightning mage couldn't even find words to say however, and simply followed, pushing what Ringo had told him to the back of his mind.

When they entered the mansion, it was empty. Not a single butler or maid greeted them. Despite the solid emptiness of the building, Ringo and Laxus could feel eyes on them, feel the presence of someone there that they could not see. Ringo brushed it off and followed John along the rich red carpet that led to a large, dark marble staircase.

"Feel free to stay here for a night or two." John told them. "But before then, allow me to bring you to your rooms where the appropriate clothing for my home can be found."

"Why do we have to wear 'appropriate' clothing?" Laxus asked, disliking the idea after the run in with Flora.

"My servants will not show themselves unless you do." John said. "They are quite strange that way."

Ringo giggled slightly at the idea of them only popping up around decently dressed people. "I'm open for new clothes." She said much to John's delight.

With those words, he led them up the large flight of stairs, their shoes clopping and clapping along the bare marble. Ringo kept looking around, her loose hair following her, getting in her way. She couldn't wait to put her hair up in the pigtails again.

John brought them to a long, empty hallway. The walls were a dark wood with a detailed floor trip. A floral pattern carpet rested in the center. There were no windows in the hall, simply doors after doors after doors. Each door had numbers carved into a gold nameplate that were so faded that Ringo could barely read them, though they were very much polished. Between the doors was either a painting or a sconce. The paintings all seemed to be original, the paint making obvious bumps.

The hallway was candle lit, the candles in high chandeliers and sconces but only gave minimal light. At the end, a dark whole with a few glowing orange lights was all that could be seen. As John passed the pictures, Ringo looked at them, finding all of them to be of a horror seen, macabre and bloody. The pit in her stomach started to emerge again as she saw the image but she quickly looked away. Other paintings depictured dolls with white eyes, pulling people down.

After a bit of walking and having Ringo successfully creeped out by the pictures, John stopped at a door. He pulled a ring of keys out of his pocket. The ring was old, rusted but the keys were shiny, has if they had just been polished. Without much hesitation, he found the right key and unlocked the door. Opening it, he looked at Laxus and gave the blonde a friendly smile. "This room is for you." He said.

Glancing at Ringo one last time, Laxus walked into the room. Once the larger man was far enough in, John closed the door and locked it. Ringo looked at him questionably but John just smiled. "It's a safety measure." He said, fooling the young woman. "This way, my dear."

Ringo followed John down the hall way more. She glanced back, unable to see the door in which Laxus had disappeared behind. When John stopped, Ringo was still looking behind her and bumped into him. The older man simply smiled and unlocked Ringo's own door. She walked through and heard the door close behind her but unlike with Laxus's door, she did not hear the click of the lock.

It confused her but before opening the door, Ringo spotted a dress that was lying on the bed in the room. Her mind completely forgot about the door as she went straight to it. Glancing around and seeing that there were no windows in her room, Ringo stripped and pulled the dress on. Near the bed was a full length mirror so she walked over to it. She smiled at herself in the mirror.

The dress was an off-white that was sleeveless, flowy and reached mid thigh in the front and a few inches longer in the back. A black corset covered her breast but still allowed for the top of the dress to show. The bottom was cut with two tails in the front, much like on a butler's coat. The long sleeves were black as well, tied at her upper arm by a blood red sash and were thick, covering her hands with a ruffled off-white fabric underneath. Along with the dress were dark purple socks that stopped at her thighs and knee high black boots. Placed in her still loose hair was a black headband with a white rose and around her neck was a black chocker with a matching cross. Ringo's pale blue headphones stood out like a sore thumb in his outfit.

She twirled in the dress slightly, loving the design but a bit dissatisfied with the colouring. Black was never a colour that she liked on herself but this time she was going to have to deal with it. Adjusting the clothing a bit, Ringo turned and walked to the bed, placing her clothes back in the bag.

It was then that she finally looked around the room. It was dark, much like the hallway with only a few candles lit on the dark wood bed stands that were placed either side of the iron framed bed. The sheets on the bed were a rich purple and a large red carpet was laid across the cold wood floor. A vanity with a dirty mirror and empty surface rested next to a wardrobe that when Ringo attempted to open, would not budge.

Finding nothing else in the room to interest her, Ringo walked to the door and opened it. She glanced around but saw no signs of John or Laxus. With a slight frown, she made her way down the hallway to Laxus's door to see if he was ready. As she walked, the hallway felt as if it was getting longer. A cold air hit Ringo from behind despite their being no windows. The flames on the candle didn't even flicker.

The hairs on Ringo's neck stood up and she turned around, feeling a stare. Seeing nothing and hearing nothing but her own heart pounding in her throat, Ringo turned back around and picked up her pace. She stopped when she reached Laxus's door, more amazed at her own ability to remember which door was his. Without any hesitation she knocked on door.

The sound of Laxus attempting to open the door could be heard but because John had locked it, he was unable to get it open. Hearing the man curse slightly on the other side of the door, Ringo stepped back, predicting him to break it down. As soon as she took a step back, the sounds of scuttling behind her came.

A heavy wind blew in the hallway, causing the candles to blow out and Ringo's hair to cover her face. As she attempted to move the thick locks out of her way, she noticed the beady white eyes, only a foot or two above the ground. Hundreds of them stared at her, causing her to back up against the cold door. She felt something brush against her bare legs and she quickly jumped to the side. When she did, she bumped into one of the things on the ground.

They had gotten closer.

And now that they had, Ringo could see what they were.

White eyed dolls, cracked and dirty, smiling and frowning with ripped clothing or no clothing at all. They were moving towards her, focused completely on her.

"Laxus, there are dolls." She said, hearing the man still try to get the door open. Despite the fear she felt, Ringo's voice was calm but demanding.

The dolls took a step closer, moving slowly, knowing that they had Ringo trapped. She felt them grab her legs, even through the leather boots she wore. The pressure they gave off was strong, a strength that these dolls should not have. She felt them tug at her, trying to pull her down to her knees.

But before they could, an arm reached out and dragged her into a room, closing the door behind her.

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I do accept critiques and I would love any helpful tips. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	5. Chapter 5: Antagonizing

So once again we have another chapter of Silent Thunder from the Furret Princess~! And in this one, if you can catch my little parody, you get a free hug from Ringo! I hope you enjoy!

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**Silent Thunder**

** Arc II**

** Chapter 5: Antagonizing**

Ringo did not resist as the strong arm pulled her into the room. Her back touched something solid and warm. The arm wrapped across her shoulders, a large hand on her right one and calm breathing hit the side of her head.

Ringo glanced up at Laxus as he closed the door once her long legs were inside the room. Despite getting her away from the horror dolls, one still clung to Ringo's booted ankle. Glaring at the creepy creature, he shot a small jolt of electricity at it, frying it completely. Feeling a small tingle from the shock, Ringo kicked the dead doll off of her and watched it shatter when it hit the tiled floor of Laxus's room.

Laxus released his grip from Ringo and the brunette stood up straight, straightening her hair and outfit. She watched Laxus kneel down and pick up a broken piece of the porcelain doll they had defeated. She moved over to him and leaned down, her cloth covered hand on her knees for support. "It looks like a normal doll." She said, glancing over the face which was sunken in but still had its hair on.

"It is." Laxus said, standing up and dropping the piece he had picked up. It broke into two smaller pieces. "They're magic infused."

Ringo pondered on what sort of magic could make them move. Her grandfather had not taught her much on the different magics of the world, simply on the type she had. The more she thought, the more she searched for a distraction and eventually made Laxus that distraction.

The blonde had changed from his clothing of black pants and collared shirt to the clothing that John had given them: A dusty grey shirt that was collared with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a black vest with red trip that resembled a tangle of thorns. There were gold buttons on it and a chain that went to his breast pocket. The shirt and vest were tight on his broad chest and shoulders but seemed to fit him nicely. He wore black dress pants with a single gold chain going from the front belt loop to one at his back and black boots, clasped with gold buckles. In Ringo's eyes, despite the forming scowl of frustration on Laxus's lips and the knot in his brows, he looked very good.

Ringo's thought were sent to the back of her mind when Laxus called her attention. "Huh?" she asked, having not been paying attention. The lightning mage frowned and yanked at the thick strand of hair that made up her side bangs, not being able to grab a twin tail.

"Pay attention." He warned her. "Did you see our host in the hall?"

"Nope." Ringo said, not minding the little tugs of her hair. "There was nobody there till the dolls came. I couldn't even hear anyone walking."

Laxus released her hair and frowned, glancing around the room. Like Ringo's, his held a bed, a dresser, vanity and a full length mirror but no windows. He did have a wardrobe that was positioned against a wall that could be shared by a room next door. He was searching for a way out other than the hall way; he could hear the moving dolls outside, waiting for them to take the risk of using the door.

Ringo wandered through the room, spotting small differences it in, such as the tile floor, the bedspread, the thin looking wardrobe. She stepped closer to the dark wooded furniture piece and opened it, finding thick fur coats and hat boxes cluttered inside. She reached out and started to move them aside, learning that the fur was real as she was covered in dust. Coughing slightly, she placed her hand at the back of the wardrobe to keep her balance as water formed in her eyes.

When the coughing stopped, she looked through the coats and to where her hand rested. The whole wardrobe was rugged, unsanded wood that seemed to have been put together in a rush, but this piece was smooth and glossy. Ignoring Laxus's question at what she was doing, Ringo pulled the coats out, tossing them to the floor behind her and tossed out the boxes as well, tipping them over and allowing the feather smothered headpieces fall out. A cloud of dust decorated the already stagnant air with a brown must.

Covering his mouth, Laxus walked over to the long haired girl and stared at her discovery. With the clothing gone, a small notch in the smooth wood could be seen, as well as hinges, indicating it was a door. Laxus reached and carefully opened the wooden panel, finding a curtain blocking the other side. He cautiously pushed it aside, revealing the back of what appeared to be a picture or a mirror.

With Ringo right behind him, Laxus pushed the board up, feeling the weight that indicated a rather large mirror. He climbed through the rectangular hole in the wall with slight awkwardness do to his side but managed to get out without too much of a hassle. When he stood on the floor of the room, he turned and offered Ringo his hand as she climbed through. The woman took it without a thought and jumped down slightly, ducking as Laxus lowered the mirror without a sound.

Ringo let go of Laxus's hand and examined the empty room. In all honesty, it was indeed empty except for the mirror door. "I expected something a little more exciting." Ringo admitted in disappointment.

"Snow?" Laxus raised an eyebrow at her, wondering what she could find exciting in the mansion where dolls attacked them.

"Something like that." Ringo smiled and walked over to the only other door in the room. She put her ear to it and could hear the dolls moving around outside of it, however, they seemed to all be around the other door still. "We're in the room next door." She looked over at Laxus who had his arms crossed over his chest. He knew that it was their only way out.

He walked over to the door and put his hand on the handle. He opened it without a second thought and grabbed Ringo by the wrist, quickly running out of the room. His heavy footsteps and Ringo's clumsy ones caught the attention of the dolls. Their heads turned completely on their bodies to watch them. Ringo stared in disgust and decided to turn to look ahead of them.

"I hate dolls now." She said, knowing Laxus didn't have time to pay attention to the scene she had just seen. Laxus grunted an approval and kept his grip on her wrist as they ran down the never seeming hallway. Ringo glanced back and could see the dolls chasing them at a scary pace. Many crawled on all four and backwards, their legs first. They were on the floor, the walls and even the ceiling. Ringo shivered at the image and Laxus glanced back when he felt her shiver. His face showed signs of disgust as well and picked up his speed.

Finally the two came to a flight of stairs and Laxus immediately ran down them. Ringo's hair flew behind her as her free hand moved in rhythm of their running. She skipped several stairs along with Laxus as they ran down, her stomach jumping each time she felt too much air beneath her feet.

When they reached the bottom, Laxus stopped to stare at the dolls that had gathered at the top of the stairs as Ringo stumbled slightly in his grip. She looked back up at the now still dolls, puzzled at their actions. Laxus gripped her wrist harder as he stared in wait for their action. His eyes darted around them, finding only another flight of stairs for them to go down.

"Move." Ringo said, seconds before dolls all jumped off the top of the stairs in a large tidal wave of glass and creepy. Laxus's feet moved as soon as Ringo's words fell onto his ears and led her to the other flight of stairs. As his feet hit the top step, he heard Ringo wince as the sound of cracking and shattering dolls reached their ears. She covered her right ear with her right hand as they ran down the steps which became thinner and thinner as they went down. The sounds of dolls following ceased as they continued their decent.

After several minutes stopped, Laxus stopped the trot to a slow but steady walk. He released Ringo's wrist and stopped completely, two steps down from the woman. He looked up past her face, barely catching the sight of her panting from the running and seeing the small dot of light that indicated the top of the stairs. He looked back at the depths below him, seeing nothing but black—it seemed that even the lights that had been dotting the side of the stairs ceased.

Predicting the case, Laxus gripped one of the lanterns in his large hand and took it off the wall. Ringo's light panting started to fill the still air as once again they started walking. She walked three steps behind Laxus, trying to catch her breath and calm herself down. Despite the coolness of the building, her hair stuck to the back of her neck in sweat. She ran a hand through it, trying to get it off of her neck but to no avail.

Sighing to herself to she hopped down a step, creating a large echo and causing the man in front of her to turn with a steady stare that told her to never do that again. Ringo smiled an apology as she continued down after him silently.

The cold air started to fade as warmth hit them like a hammer. The air turned from cold and stagnant to warm and muggy. The annoying sound of buzzing filled the air, indicating mosquitoes and flies. Laxus waved his hand slightly as the creatures became attracted to his lantern. The two mages stopped when the stairs at a cliff with a large swamp, only a few yards below them. The water was filthy with cattails, lily pads, insects and reptiles galore.

The buzzing increased tenfold as dragonflies buzzed past them, gators hissed and frogs croaked. Ringo covered her ears at the obnoxious noises and turned their volume down even more. Her eyes darted to the frogs, trying to keep track of each one which ended up being impossible. Laxus's focus was above them where golden lachrima were engraved into the stone walls, creating light and heat.

"This guy has strange hobbies." The man muttered to himself, searching for a way down. On the other side of the swamp, he had spotted another set of stairs which could very well get them out of the heat. With the thick and layered clothing they wore, sweat started to bead on their foreheads. After a bit of scanning, the man managed to find some rocks they could use as stepping stones to get across.

He jumped down, not bothering to tell Ringo. The brunette noticed his intention and quickly followed, wanting to leave the swamp hell for entirely different reasons than to get out of the heat. She landed softly, leaving a much shallower foot print in the mud but grumbling at getting the sticky stuff on her boots.

Laxus easily walked across the slippery rocks, maintaining his balance thanks to his own body weight. However, he was careful when he stepped in mud, knowing that his size could be of a disadvantage if he sunk. Ringo followed close behind, watching her footing and watching the scenery around her. She noticed a few gators eying them but her main concern was for a different kind of swamp creature.

During the brisk walk across the indoor swamp, the two mages were smacking their exposed skin of mosquitoes, waving away flies and avoiding the mud with the best skills that they could. Ringo's balance had slipped a few times, almost sending her into the, who knows how deep waters before Laxus grabbed her or nudges her up straight. The sound mage could not help but sigh in relief when they reached the other end of the swamp and were on solid ground again.

As the two mages started to walk to the stairs, both glad that the swamp led to nothing attacking them, a sole toad, the size of a small cat, jumped out of the water. Ringo noticed it right away and jumped back, shying behind Laxus. The lightning mage stared at the overgrown frog and looked back at Ringo's panicked face.

"It's a toad." He said, arms crossed over his chest.

"I hate frogs." Ringo said quickly, looking up at the man. "Toads are basically the same thing."

"It's harmless." He pointed out, gesturing to the toad which simply sat there, staring at the two mages.

"I had one jump in my face as a kid; they are on my bad list." Ringo said, lifting a finger and frowning.

Laxus shrugged, knowing he wasn't going to get anywhere and decided to simply ignore the slimy swamp creature and continue to the stairs. Before he could even get within a yard of them, the overgrown toad croaked loudly, shaking the whole swamp. Ringo covered her ears as the alligators and other creatures disappeared into the depths of the waters. Soon the water started to pool up as a monster sized toad jumped from the waters and landed in front of the mages, blocking the stairs.

Ringo and Laxus stared up at the slimy creature. It was a disgusting brown colour with warts covering its back and a mucus film pooling from the body, pooling at its long legs and feet. Laxus covered his nose as Ringo held her breath from the putrid smell that encased the monster. Deciding that the creature was not going to move out of their way, Laxus raised an arm, sparks generating all around it.

Noticing her partner's eagerness to attack, Ringo reached forward and grabbed his shirt, trying to get him to stop. Laxus turned to her, his sparks disappearing and wondering why she stopped him. "Water." Ringo said, pointing to the conducting liquid that surrounded him.

Laxus lowered his arm and frowned. If he fried the frog, he could very well fry Ringo as well in this room. Ringo stood next to him and looked around for a place where she could go in order to stay out of Laxus's way. She disliked the large frog in front of her, her eye twitched slightly and her stomach was doing flops at it being so close and so large.

She continued to look around when Laxus knelt down and wrapped his arm around her thighs, lifting her up on to his shoulder and away from the water soaked ground. Ringo's hands instantly gripped at his muscular shoulder and arm with her hands which were much smaller in comparison. With her butt off of his shoulder blade a bit, Laxus had his arm wrapped around her waist and lying on top of her legs, gripping at her lower thigh.

Noticing her wet and muddy boots, Laxus took them off, ignoring Ringo's protests at losing the shoes as he tossed them into the swamp. With the girl safely out of the water and with no water on her to conduct his electricity, Laxus lifted his left hand, charging up the electrical magic within him. Before the toad in front of them could even notice the changing particles in the air, he was struck with a powerful blast of lightning. With the water that filled the room, the yellow-white blasts danced off the ground and up the walls, surrounding the two mages and crackling around them. Being on top of Laxus prevented Ringo from getting electrocuted as the lightning mage acted as a catalyst, deterring the bolts into different directions. Still, her long hair started to stick up from the static.

When they lightning finally calmed down, fish and swamp creatures alike started to float the surface, dead and tingling. The large frog was on its side, eyes white and body steaming. It was dead but it's own mucus covering at prevented it from being completely fried unlike the other victims of the attack. Still feeling the electrical currents flowing through the ground, Laxus kept Ringo on his arm until he made it to the stairs which were unaffected by his attack. He put her down gently and Ringo stood on her toes from her lack of shoes.

She frowned at her stocking feet but was pleased to find the stairs were smooth and would be decent to walk up. She looked up at Laxus who had glanced down to her and smiled. "Thank you." She said, showing teeth. Laxus smiled slightly, giving her a nod before walking up the stairs. Ringo followed behind him with no hesitation, bidding a solid farewell to the toad room.

Much like the first set, these stairs were long and narrow with little to no light as they continued to go up. The further they got away from the bottom, the colder it got. Ringo shivered slightly as the cold stone stairs turned even colder under her stocking feet. She started stepping lightly and quickly, eventually walking on the same step as Laxus and eventually getting ahead of him in her attempt to leave the cold staircase.

Laxus watched her go up quickly, questioning her sudden rush when he remembered that he had tossed her shoes. He felt a bit guilty for that but it seemed right now her only complaint was the cold of the stair case. He was only around ten steps from the top when Ringo came to a stop and turned to wait for him. She smiled and wiggled her toes slightly as he finished is ascent and stopped right at the top.

The room they entered was wide and unlike every room they had seen before, held multiple windows which were closed with thick curtains, allowing only a slit of sunlight came through, creating that thin line of light on the black and white tiled floor of the room. The air was musky, as if the windows had never been opened but the floor was clean, shining even in the darkness of the room. A single chair sat in the room; large and gold with red velvet cushions and sitting in it was John, with a haughty look. However, even in the lowlight you could see a bit of shock dancing on his face.

"I didn't think you would be this much trouble." He sighed, standing up and spreading his arms out to them. "But this is what I get for inviting the notorious Laxus Dreyar into my mansion."

Laxus's eyes narrowed at the man who simply grinned, teeth showing. The lightning mage clenched his fist from immediately, wanting to make him eat the ground under his foot. But he held back and waited to see the man's intentions. He could, however, feeling Ringo's dark eyes on him, curious as to what the man was talking about. Laxus didn't look at her.

"Even before being kicked out of your guild, there were many rumours of you going around to men like me." John continued, his voice a bit edgy, as if putting on a false bravado. "A nasty man who hates the weak and a desire for strength. Very similar to me and my kind."

The man's smile became thin and malice filled his face. His eyes turned to Ringo and she felt a shiver run down her spine at the glare that the man produced to her. Ringo took a step back, her stocking feet sliding on the smooth floor as she did. With Ringo, John held no fear.

"I guess being kicked out of your guild by your own flesh and blood grandfather really put a toll on you." John continued, his cold glare turning back to Laxus who seemed to be calming down but flaring up with every other word the man spoke. Relief rushed through John at the thought of getting under Laxus's skin and started to push his limits. "To think that a man of your caliber would become so meek to the point of wasting your days with a weak mage like that." With his last words he gestured towards Ringo.

Ringo did nothing but frown and place her hands on her hips. The insult did nothing to her. Whether someone called her weak or strong, it didn't matter much to her, but his insults to Laxus started to pang at her. She stepped forward, standing slightly in front of Laxus. The lightning mage glanced down at her, seeing her stubborn face.

"You're a very rude person." Ringo said, staring John straight in the eyes. Despite the glare, she kept her eyes locked on him. "I dislike rude people."

"And what is someone like you going to do about it?" John retorted. "Cry and beg me to stop." The man started to laugh from his stomach, making his own uneasiness fade, and Ringo's frown turned into a frustrated pout.

The sound mage lifted her hand, a magic circle forming in front of the laughing man. "Mute." She whispered, clenching her fist. The laughter of the man cut short and he immediately stopped. His mouth opened, showing signs of him talking, but nothing was heard. "I dislike people like him." she said, turning to Laxus and pointing at the still flustered man.

"Fry him." she told her friend who looked at her with a bit of bewilderment. She simply smiled. "The past is in the past and the Laxus I have come to know would zap his ass."

The creases in Laxus's brow disappeared and he stood up straight. A small smirk grew on his lips as he turned to the man who had finally realized that they had caused his voice to disappear. Electricity pumped through his arm as a large jolt flew straight down from the ceiling, showering the man in the plasma charge. John screamed in silence as it pumped through his body and causing his heart to jump.

The blast stopped short of killing the man, but assured he wouldn't be getting up any time soon. The two mages walked over to him and noticing that he was still conscious, Ringo released her silencing spell. The man coughed and looked up at Laxus. "You changed…" he struggled to say. "For good or worse doesn't matter… Just keep in mind, that you can't escape the raven…" The man was shaking her fear, his eyes bewildered but it all stopped when he finally fell unconscious.

Laxus frowned, understanding the man's words as Ringo stared at him confused. He shook his head. The sound mage shrugged and went over to the window, opening them up to show a morning sun. "I didn't realize we stayed up all night." She said, watching the sun rise over the horizon.

Laxus came up behind her and looked at the front gates that they had originally come through. He opened the window and jumped out, not wanting to bother searching for the front door. Finding no other option, Ringo did the same, holding the hem of her dress down as she fell the two stories and landed safely on her feet.

Ringo looked back at the house. The creepy feeling it gave off seemed to be gone in the morning light. She noticed Laxus already starting to walk away and quickly followed him. As they stepped towards the gates, a single doll sat in the center of the gates. The doll was perfect, clean and had no cracks, her hair was straight and clothes seemed washed. Her head looked up at the two mages and all Ringo could hear was a small click before it exploded.

The two mages were sent flying backwards, hitting the ground hard as dust and fire fell onto them. Ringo sat up, feeling a bit disoriented as warm liquid dripped down the side of her head. She touched it, feeling a sting and something warm and sticky on her hands. Looking at it, pools of red blood dripped onto her legs. She frantically looked herself over; her clothes were cut, body scraped and dirty, she was bleeding but the worse seemed to be from her head. She then looked around for Laxus.

Due to the dust that was kicked up, Ringo could only see the dark shadow of the man as he stood up and checked himself out. As the smoke began to clear, Ringo started to walk towards him. When she was finally in his field of vision, Laxus was relieved to see that she had gotten away with minor injuries similar to himself. His clothes were tattered and small blood stains and bruises formed but nothing he couldn't just walk off. The man looked back at the house but felt no sign of a threat, no killing intent at all.

"Was that a way of telling us good bye?" Ringo asked, coughing slightly and exhaling some smoke.

"Seems that way." Laxus said with a slight growl.

John's words bounced on his mind as Ringo took to walking in front and leading them away from the castle.

_'You cannot escape… the raven…'_

* * *

I do accept critiques and I would love any helpful tips. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

My apologies if this chapter seemed a bit rushed. I struggled with writing it since taunting bad guys are not my thing. Next chapter will be a filler to give you guys a small break from this arc after arc thing. I

f you have any suggestions for a one chapter filter you think would be fun for Ringo and Laxus to embark on, tell me! I'll choose my favourite! 3


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